Archaeologies of Antislavery Resistance

Summary

Archaeologists have explored self-liberated Africans ("Maroons") in the Americas and proponents of collaborative resistance movements (for instance, the Underground Railroad or African-Native American alliances), especially material aspects of them that fall within the period 1600–1865. Despite this focus, researchers working in the Americas have much to gain from considering the global dimensions of antislavery resistance, a term that will be used to signify any form of defiance against slavery, not just the activities of abolitionists. Resistance and slavery involve issues that continue to spark debate today, such as cultural survival, self-determination, and inequality. Various forms of evidence illustrate how people of African descent sought to protect their human rights, escape from bondage, and combat exploitation. Their actions varied across different settings and included accommodation, alliance, autonomy, and militancy. As these varieties of antislavery behavior are assessed, various meanings and uses of the concept of freedom become apparent.